Cooperatives, Concern for Community and Climate Change Actions

Abstract

Cooperatives are longstanding socio-economic enterprises with great contribution to realization of sustainable development goals everywhere in the world. Driven by concern for community principle, the enterprises roles are not only for members but also the surrounding communities. Portrayed as the most notable Social and Solidarity Economy Enterprises (SSEEs), cooperatives have a major role in the realisation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and Africa's Aspirations in, amongst other areas, climate change mitigation. Even with an increase on the impacts of climate change, cooperative role in climate change action is minimal and unrecognised in most of African countries. Policy and legal set ups, in some of these countries are silent on the engagement of cooperatives in these actions. The study aimed at examining the place of cooperatives in climate change actions. Specifically, the study aimed at highlighting the cooperative enterprise traditional roles and how they were tied with membership; investigating the effect of concern for community principle on expansion of cooperative societies roles scope; assessing the international recognition of cooperative societies' roles in crises mitigation; exploring societies best practices in climate change interventions; and analysing the African continent progress in climate change action. The study employed documentary review and consultations in data collection. Data collected was analyzed qualitatively. From the study, it is evident that the cooperative enterprise roles have significantly transformed with the concern for community principle in action. Of latest, cooperatives are not only serving their members but also the surrounding communities including pursuing climate change actions. The cooperative enterprise roles on climate change are internationally recognised by the UN, the ILO and other international bodies. On the best practices, the study reveals successfully cases of the societies' engagement in climate change interventions in select European, American, Asian, and African countries. The discussion on African cooperative progress on climate change action reveals slow progress mostly attributed by havocs in the legal and policy frameworks, members conservative mindset and financial setbacks. The discussion captures contemporary strategic developments in Africa and how best can they be utilised in addressing climate change action.